Vegan Garlic Alfredo Sauce

Vegan Garlic Alfredo Sauce

One of most people's indulgent comfort foods is alfredo sauce. I admit, I used to love it too, but I didn't love how after just a few bites, I felt sick. There is such a thing as foods being too rich. Feeling nauseated and in a nasty food coma for hours after eating something isn't really worth it to me.

Enter the best Vegan Garlic Alfredo Sauce you'll ever have. No need to try any further anymore. This one is dairy-free and oil-free. Most vegan versions contain vegan butter or oil, not healthy. This one is made from cashews which make it exceptionally creamy. I wanted a whole food version, not made from oils and I did it all in just 7 ingredients (+salt). I've been making this for awhile and after a couple of folks asked for it on Facebook, I figured I better get it posted!

Read on to see how I came up with the similar rich, slightly sweet flavor of traditional garlic alfredo sauce......

Traditional garlic alfredo sauce has butter, milk, cream, parmesan cheese (or other cheeses) and garlic in it. Major dairy overload! Bloated, icky feeling. It also does nothave onion in it. However, I wanted to give my alfredo sauce that slightly, sweet richness typically reached by cream and butter, so I added cooked onions, lots of them. But don't worry, it does not taste like onion sauce...it just gives it lots of flavor and cuts down on all the extra ingredients you typically see in vegan recipes.

I know what you are thinking....does it really taste like garlic alfredo sauce?? Well, my hubby said this exactly the first time he tried it, "spot on" and then he said "it really tastes exactly like garlic alfredo sauce". I was shocked. I thought it did, but I had taste tested it so much, I no longer trusted my taste buds. That's one reason I have people taste test my recipes. We all have different opinions though, so I'll let you be the judge. Try it and let me know! I'd say it is pretty darn close, especially considering it doesn't have any of the typical ingredients!

Regardless, it is delicious and very creamy and satisfying and will NOT make you sick and want to throw up afterwards. You can eat this alfredo sauce without tons of guilt.

How exciting is it that you can make such delicious recipes that are just 8 ingredients?! If you are new to my blog and don't know how I came up with that concept, then read my About page to learn a little bit behind my passion.

If you are pressed for time, then you gotta try my 20 Minute Vegan Alfredo! It's actually my new favorite. So darn creamy and rich and easy! No chopping of veggies or anything! Allergic to nuts? Then make my Nut-Free Garlic Alfredo!

Sadly, this recipe is my MOST popular weekly and is continuing to be stolen and copied and posted by other sites and blogs without ANY credit. It is very upsetting, so please know that I worked hard to create this recipe years back and it is my original creation. If you like this recipe, please give credit where credit is due.

Yields 2 cups

Vegan Garlic Alfredo Sauce

Healthy vegan garlic alfredo sauce that tastes like the guilty version. Lots of onion is the secret to this easy, low ingredient and rich dairy-free and oil-free alfredo sauce. You will be shocked there is not an ounce of dairy in it!

1/4 cup nutritional yeast (25 g, more or less if preferred. I used an extra tablespoon. Make sure to use a non-synthetic version so it doesn't leave a nasty vitamin taste. I highly recommend Sari brand )

Note

It is not recommended to sub or eliminate any of these ingredients, as I cannot vouch for the results if any are changed. The lemon juice is crucial, as it eliminates any cashew flavor.

Also, if you don't have a high powered blender like a Vitamix, it is crucial to pre-soak the cashews so they soften and the sauce ends up smooth and creamy, and not gritty. Drain them and rinse after soaking.

Instructions

Add the onion and ONLY 1 cup of the broth to a large pan over medium heat. Cook for about 8 minutes until the onion is very tender. (Add a tiny bit more broth if it is cooking too fast or turn the heat down, so the onions don't burn) After several minutes, add the garlic and cook a couple of minutes more. All of the broth should have evaporated by now. If not, keep letting it cook until the broth is GONE. You don't want any more liquid once it's done cooking, so the end result is thick and creamy.

Add the cooked veggies (the onion and garlic) to a blender. Start out by just adding 1/2 cup more of the remaining broth and add the remaining ingredients (salt, pepper, cashews, lemon juice, nutritional yeast). Blend on high for a couple of minutes until very creamy and smooth. Add any more broth to reach desired consistency, if necessary. Taste and add any more salt & pepper, if desired.

Serve over preferred pasta. Note: When preparing your pasta, make sure to salt your water well, so your pasta has flavor and isn't bland, which can affect the end flavor result of the dish. I add around a tablespoon to a large pot of boiling water. Garnish with parsley, lemon zest and salt & pepper, if desired. Add any veggies you like. I like to add broccoli or even peas. Store leftovers in the fridge. The sauce will thicken up even more overnight, which you can thin out a little with a touch of broth when reheating, if necessary.

7.6.7

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The Vegan 8

If you make this recipe, please do not re-post it on your site, please link to me instead giving proper credit. I work very hard to create my recipes and share them for free, so please be respectful and link properly. If you are inspired by this recipe, again, please give proper credit and do not simply post it on your site.

Here's a little side by side nutrition for my alfredo sauce in comparison to Olive Garden's alfredo sauce....a little shocking:

Wow, what a difference! Hey, so it has a hair less carbs, but who cares when all of my ingredients are quality ingredients and not heavy on the heart. Nothing wrong with indulging occasionally, but you could eat my alfredo sauce weekly with much less guilt.

Hope you all love this Vegan Garlic Alfredo Sauce. In fact, make it and tag me in the photo on Instagram@thevegan 8 and please also use hashtag #thevegan8, so I can keep all my tag notifications in one place, otherwise I can miss the notifications. Thank you, it makes my day when you share!

More From The Vegan 8......

488 Comments

Cashews really are pretty magical aren't they. Must say your Alfredo looks exactly like the real deal, the nutritional yeast will give that cheesy taste. This is a perfect sub for dairy laden Alfredo! Very nice!

If you're allergice to nuts, you can use seeds or coconut cream. Pretty sure that the cashews are to add fat which makes alfredo creamy from the traditional cream, milk and butter. Also, you can use coconut oil to add more fat if it's not rich enough for you.

November 22, 2016

brandi.doming@yahoo.com

I created a very rich and creamy alfredo for those who can't have nuts. It's already tested and posted here. It's made with tahini. Doesn't need oil, it's rich and creamy! http://thevegan8.com/2016/02/26/nut-free-vegan-garlic-alfredo-sauce/

Hi there! Hmm, not sure what went wrong on your end. I make this monthly and it is smooth creamy and perfect everytime and there are 80+ reviews I've gotten with all excellent results. The only reason your sauce would be gritty is if you didn't soak the cashews prior and/or your blender isn't powerful enough or it wasn't blended long enough. Soaking and blending the cashews turns them completely creamy. I use cashews weekly and they are a trademark in vegan cooking for turning creamy, but some people's blenders may not be powerful enough, which is why soaking is suggested. As far as orange, the only reason it would be orange is there wasn't enough broth added to the blender because of the nutritional yeast added. I have noted to start out with a certain amount (2nd paragraph) and add more as needed. The color is a very pale yellow, but nowhere near orange.

Hey! I just made your recipe, and while it was delicious, mine also turned out gritty. I think the problem was either that I didn't soak the cashews for long enough or that my blender isn't powerful enough. I'm not sure if I understand the soaking directions. Do you think soaking the cashews the day before I make the recipe instead of the 2-4 hours in hot water would achieve the creaminess I'm trying to get at? I also have a ninja blender. Is that not powerful enough to get the desired results?

June 13, 2015

brandi.doming@yahoo.com

Hi Danielle! Yes, it was definitely because of the blender or not soaking long enough. A ninja isn't as powerful as a vitamix or blendtec, so I would soak the cashews overnight just to ensure they are plenty soft and just blend it for a long time until smooth. There's over a 100 reviews and every one has been success, the only ther one who's turned out gritty was because she used a food processor and that will never work for this sauce (she left a comment on Pinterest telling me she had used a processor) and I want you to have success like the others, so just soak them overnight in warm water and that should work better! Thank you!

I just made the garlic alfredo sauce and was very disappointed. It was creamy and all that, but a tablespoon of lemon juice dominated the flavor and it tasted like lemon sauce. I tried to fix it by adding more salt and pepper, more broth, etc. but I could not get rid of the overpowering lemon flavor. I will try making it again, but not use lemon or at least not a tablespoon.

Lady K: I agree with Brandie as to the reasoning behind the grittiness, however, is it possible you used Vegetable Stock instead of Vegetable Broth. Many vegetable stocks have more of an orange-red color (I think there is more tomato) whereas vegetable broth tends to resemble the color of chicken stock. Hope this helps!

Thanks Carey! Yes, she admitted on Pinterest that she used a food processor and not a blender and that would definitely be why it didn't work. You must soak and blend the cashews up in a blender...the only way to get it creamy and it makes a HUGE difference!

The orange color could come from the vegetable broth you're using? I use TJ's veggie broth and it has a very vibrant reddish orange color. It is by far the most flavorful veggie broth I've found; but it can tinge things orange when they would be white with other brands of broth. 😊

Don't worry about it being yellow, that's because of the nutritional yeast and can't be avoided. If someone's sauce turned out perfectly White, they might have just added more cashews or used less nutritional yeast than the recipe called for. And the reason why it's gritty is probably because [if you're using a regular blender or food processor] you didn't blend for long enough to make it smooth or you needed to soak them longer. Also, it blends smoother if you blend everything right away while it's still hot so have all your spices and other ingredients already in the blender or on the side ready to add in a second.

Hi there.
Just made your dark chocolate chipotle sweet potato fudge and LOVED it. So, I thought I would look through the other recipes listed. Any ideas for a substitute for the cashews? Unfortunately, I have a nut allergy, which has made my doctor recommended gluten-free vegan diet a real challenge. Thanks for any suggestions you might have!
All good things,
Kristen

Hi Kristen! Oh wonderful! So glad to hear you loved the fudge. Since it's a brand new recipe, would you mind at all leaving your review on that recipe?....so it's tied to that one as well...I'd really appreciate it! Also, as far as the nut substitution, I haven't tried it yet but I've heard of people subbing cashews with white beans or even tofu for a creamy effect. I don't know what the final texture or taste would be, but I do know people have done it. It's on my list to try it. I would try 1/2 cup of pureed white beans and see how that works. Let me know please if you try it!

Agree. The onion and garlic really make it stand out. I made this last night for the family, and the hubby absolutely loved it! I paired it w the lemon herbed zucchini on the side and added broccoli, and sliced tomatoes to the pasta. #Yum! So glad I found your site; what a blessing

I just made your Alfredo and used it on fettuccine. I completely followed your recipe (one exception I reduced the salt in half, though I'm sure it's just as good with the full amount). I used a delicious homemade vegetable stock (no sodium added).
Before making I looked over your recipe and knew it would work well. I have to say, it exceeded my expectations. Really an ingenious recipe.
Can't wait to share this with friends and family. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

When I was younger Olive Gardens fettuccine alfredo was my favorite dish..I am so disgusted by that fact now! HAH! As I got older I started liking alfredo less and less, and now of course I don't eat alfredo at all. I am obsessed with making nut cream sauces, but always keep them fairly simple. I will have to try these spice additions! This would be great on a grilled pizza too!

I'm not sure...I've only tried it with cashews and cashews become very, very creamy which is why it works so well to mimic alfredo sauce. However, I'm sure the pine nuts would work for the recipe, it just may not be as creamy, but I'd love to hear how it turns out for you, texture and taste wise! Please let me know :)

Thank you so much John!! Yes, several have already made it all with amazing feedback! My mother made it tonight and served it to my dad unknowingly that it was vegan and was shocked ... My mom loved it so much , she said she wanted to drink it, haha! The response has been overwhelming just in the past 24 hours with 1600 views already... Who knew so many wanted a real tasting vegan garlic alfredo sauce ?! Exciting!

This recipe is to die for! I haven't eaten real alfredo sauce in years, too afraid of the fat content; but this sauce is the personification of alfredo. It's is super easy to make so it will definitely become a regular in my menu planning. My husband said it tasted exactly like alfredo sauce and called it "fantastic". He even went back for seconds which he doesn't do unless he's really impressed. You have out done yourself on this one!

I made this last night for my carnivorous parents who are visiting for the holidays. My husband and I thought it was quite amazing, but I knew it was a real winner when my dad asked my mom if she could get the recipe from me and try making it at home. Thank you for developing these tasty and healthy recipes :).

Nothing like a dish that needs 4 kinds of dairy to make it rich. Love yours much better and I'm sure it even tastes better than it's traditional version. I always thought Alfredo was like swallowing paste after a few bites the way it coats your throat and sits in your stomach. Much better here with the cashews and onion ;)

Hahaha you're so right Angela... Yes traditional alfredo sauce is tasty at first, but a little too rich and thick....totally paste like now that I think about it! I just hate that only a few bites and I'd be sick to my stomach. No more!! This one is perfect for us. :)

Oh my gosh, I love this recipe! I love Alfredo sauce too, but I usually only use a little bit because it's so rich and indulgent. I love that your sauce is pretty much guilt free...you're amazing Brandi!

Happy New Year Brandi! I hope you still remember me :) I'm sorry it took me so long to visit your new blog. What a great transformation and you look more stunning then ever! This is a sauce that I will make. Same like you, I love Alfredo but the classic ones are just too dairy overload. And thanks for having a printable version too! Warmest, Danny - now writing from hong kong.

Interesting! I'm not sure what page you are referring to where you posted it, your link doesn't go anywhere. Do you have a blog/site? Guess we have similar ideas because I made this from the top of my head too! I've never had a version with onions, but most vegan versions have cashews. Yours with white wine I'm sure is tasty!

Well, I've made it twice this week. The second time I used it as a dip for buffalo cauliflower "wings". Oh. my. gosh. The flavors worked perfectly together! The hubs is diabetic so we don't eat pasta very often, but I'm scheming of ways to use it otherwise.... and in fact, am planning on making it a third time over the weekend. LOL. I'm hooked!

Another super yummy (and EASY!) recipe!! I made this tonight and served it over organic whole grain pasta shells and added sautéed baby portabellas on top- OMG!! My husband and 15month old gobbled it all up! :D

Brandi, you're amazing. You've managed to take fatty (albeit absolutely delicious) alfredo sauce and make it healthy and vegan! I never make it at home because of how fatty it is and rarely order it out in restaurants (I only eat it once or twice a year as a treat). I can't wait to try this.

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It looks delish! I am gluten intolerant, allergic to dairy & would love to try it, but sadly, I am allergic to lemon too. You would not believe how hard it is to find recipes that are GFCF and free of lemon/lime! Wish I could find an alternative...

Oh my goodness you are allergic to lemons too?! I'm so sorry! Hmmm, well you could still make it without it, it just won't have that definitive tang...you could try subbing with apple juice, or maybe a little bit of apple cider vinegar or maybe even balsamic vinegar and see how it turns out. I would only start out with a teaspoon first and taste and see if it needs any more...you don't want it to taste like vinegar! Let me know if you make it :)

I made this last night and it was a big hit. I am too disorganised to soak cashews overnight, so I did two soaks in boiling water (i.e. drain and put boiling water on again when it cools) over two hours.
I didn't have any lemons but had white wine. I did saute the onions a bit first and then boiled them in about a cup of white wine. While the onions were cooking I blended the cashews as I don't have a high-speed blender with a little stock. I didn't have any problem with a grainy finish even though it's a totally average food processor, the extra time did the trick.
After that, I followed all the instructions when the stock had cooked into the onions I added them hot to the cashews.
I added roasted asparagus, edamame beans and peas and served with a green side salad.
Will be making this again!!

Scrum-diddly-umptious! I doubled your recipe and jarred the other half for later. Later might just be tomorrow! I made this with yellow onion instead of white, because thats what i had...and it was fabulous!

Omg I found this recipe on Pinterest a couple months ago and I make it at least once a week! I just got a vitamix which makes it even better and more creamy. We are not vegan but just healthy eaters (most of the time) and my husband and I love this way more than traditional Alfredo sauce! Thank you so so so much for coming up with this recipe - it's the best! I'll make it for life

Hi Sherry! I didn't include the vegan butter since I personally never use it, I only added it in case somebody wanted a more butter taste, but I don't believe most people who have made this use it. However, if you want to add a tablespoon to it before you blend it up, the nutrition stats would change as follows per 1/2 cup serving: 145.2 calories, 9.2 g fat
Hope that helps and please let me know how it turns out, thank you!

I figured it out! I used 2 1/2 cups broth total because I doubled the recipe! So I guess I only used 1 1/4 total for 1 recipe. It doesn't matter because it was delicious!!!! Yum! Thanks for a wonderful recipe!

I tried this one and loved it so much. Last week I tried you ceasar dressing and this week the alfredo sauce. I had the two for a complete, vegan and oil free dinner. I had a moderate serving of each and felt full and satisfied. I put alfredo sauce over wheat pasta. So yummy!!!!
Next I am going to venture into your desserts.

Wonderful Roxanne!! So glad you enjoyed both the Caesar salad and the garlic alfredo pasta so much! Such a great idea to combine the two! Have fun with the desserts, that's where my true passion is..you should try the No Bake Nutella Bars, they are super popular. Let me know when you do...thanks again!!

Hello Brandi! This sauce was absolutely delicious! I stumbled upon your site while searching for vegan garlic cashew sauces and I'm so glad I did. I actually used this sauce to make a vegan pasta primavera and I'd like to report that it was truly amazing!! I used sliced mushrooms, sliced zucchini and julienned red peppers (sautéed separately in a bit of olive oil), but any favorite veggie combination will work. Everyone in my family loved it... it was as good as any of those butter and cream laden ones! We were all very happy. I was asked to please keep this recipe and make it often!! What more can I ask? Thanks, Brandi.

Elizabeth, your feedback made my day! Thank you so much for taking the time to come by and leave me such wonderful feedback, I always love hearing it and I really appreciate it. So glad everybody loved it and I agree, just as good as the dairy ones, but SO much healthier!! Thanks again!

It was sooooooo good with artichokes! My hubby wouldn't eat it because he doesn't like nooch. I feel sorry for him, hehe. Had some for lunch today poured over roasted zuch, tomatoes and mushrooms. Love it!

I LOVE this sauce! I've made many varieties but this is the one! I like that it doesn't have any added soy or almond milk. Except,( or and!) , I did it exactly as you the first time, the second time I got adventurous and added 1/2 of a roasted red pepper. Both exceptional. Thanks for this keeper!

I just made this for the family tonight and they all loved it! Which is saying ALOT because my sister is a picky eater and my Dad is skeptical about anything meatless. I think I am slowly winning them over with my vegan cooking. Definitely will be making this again :)

Made this tonight and everyone loved it. Super creamy and delicious. Added it to a primavera with quinoa pasta. The kids loved it - they've never had cheesy alfredo sauce but I have and this is so much better, if only for the reason that you don't feel cruddy after eating it, but also because it is just so good. The teenagers wanted to know if it was easy to make so they could add it to their cooking rotation and I could happily say YES! So easy, so good. Thanks for posting this!

I used a fresh onion from my mother in law's garden for this sauce. Wow. I soaked my cashews a couple hours and blended everything for about 7 minutes. It is so good I couldn't stop liking my spatula! This is an amazing recipe for a unique sauce and I can't wait to start trying your other recipes!!

Thank you so much Kayla! I love hearing feedback and yours brightened my day. I'm so happy you enjoyed it so much! Please come back and let me know how others turn out, it means the world to me to hear from my readers!

Thank you for sharing this recipe. It was super easy. The only thing I struggled with was the patience to wait for the broth to evaporate from the onions. I did end up adding a little onion powder and garlic powder to the sauce at the end and had to taste it a couple of times to get the salt level just right. Served it over brown rice spaghetti to which I'd added some beautiful asparagus tips and matchstick carrots. I am adding this to our rotation, so many possibilities!

Thank you so much Lisa for the wonderful feedback, so glad you enjoyed it! Haha, yes, that is really the only hard part...waiting for it to finish, although mine cooks in about 10 minutes, so not too long at all. If you like a really strong onion/garlic flavor, then certainly feel free to increase it! I find it just right for my taste, but it's so easily adaptable. Thanks again :)

I made this sauce last night to serve with our mungbean fettuccine and chickpea cutlets and it lent an excellent creamy texture and flavor to the dish. In the future I think I'll add more spices and maybe some hot sauce or tamari to add just a bit more depth of flavor, but it was a very quick sauce that I whipped up in no time at all.
Only changes: quick soaked my cashews in hot water for just 20 minutes (I have a Vitamix), sauteed my onion and garlic in a teeny bit of olive oil + water when needed instead of broth. Also used half unsweetened plain almond milk + half veg broth for the blender portion. I must have added too much liquid because my sauce was VERY runny so I just added it back to a clean pot over low heat and stirred in a slurry of organic corn starch until it thickened up exactly how I wanted.
What did my family think of it? Well, there are almost no leftovers! ;)
Thanks, Brandi!

Hi Robin, thank you so much for the feedback! I'm so glad everybody loved it! Yes, definitely sounded like you added too much liquid because it should not be runny AT ALL. You are the first person to say that it was runny, so I would definitely make sure to double check the measurements next time because I make it almost weekly and it's never runny, but nice and creamy/thick. :) Also I would stick to just using the broth to both cook the veggies in and blend up because of all the flavor it has....almond milk has no flavor and will dilute the alfredo flavor. The end product is very flavorful and a strong garlic and slight "cheesiness" from the nutritional yeast. Regardless, I'm glad everybody loved it and thanks so much for the feedback, I really appreciate it!

[...] recipe. I love cashews and by far, one of my most popular and stellar-reviewed recipes is my Garlic Alfredo Sauce. It has won over virtually every dairy-lover and even fooled them. Those little cashews are magical [...]

Love this recipe. At the last minute I found out I didn't have vegetable broth so I used pasta water to thin the sauce in the blender. It was so, so good! I'm sure it will taste even better with the veggie broth. I plan on using this as a base for many pasta dishes. Thanks for coming up with this wonderful recipe.

Thank you for the recipe! I just made it tonight for my husband who is absolutely in no way a vegan, but it was a hit! He loved it. I forgot the parsley, but added sautéed mushrooms and sundried tomatoes, and soaked my cashews (even though I do own a Vitamix)...we will be having this alfredo sauce again :)

i made this tonight for dinner with chanterelles and zucchini, and roasted buternut squash/garlic over pasta. it was pure bliss. it was perfect. i don't think i've ever had dairy-based garlic alfredo, but this was delish! and my mum said it was the beg veg. cheeze sauce she's had :D. and she's not vegan!
a tip for speedy cashew sprouting - add a dash of lemon juice and a pinch of salt when you let the cashew soak, and they will sprout rapidly (it mimics ideal sprouting conditions in soil! akaline + minerals!). usually my cashews soften like that in about an hour or two, and if i'm in a hurry, 30 minutes (i use a food processor to 'cream them' and it works well).

We just made this last night and it was incredible. My husband was practically drinking the sauce!
We've tried a cauliflower Alfredo but this is definitely more like the real thing.
Thanks for the great recipe!

I've made this sauce several times and, as I'm soaking some cashews to make this again tonight, I just had to let you know how much we love it! I've been vegan for about 3 years now and the only thing I miss from my "carnivore" days is cheese. I was so thrilled to find this recipe because it doesn't involve tofu or starches for thickening, like many others do. Those tend to taste a little "off" but this recipe is perfect. The last time I made it I used oven-roasted garlic cloves and WOW that was good. I love this as a pizza sauce and I've even used it as a smear on my grilled tomato sandwich. Heh.
Thanks so much for this recipe! It's in my top 5 favorites. :)

Hi Melissa! The best sub would be macadamia nuts. They tend to be gritty though as they are much harder to get completely smooth than cashews, so my recommendation would be to roast the macadamia nuts at 300 degrees for 15 mins and then proceed with the recipe. They do not produce 100% as creamy of a result as cashews, so maybe scale back a tad on the water and add as needed. I think that should work. Please let me know how it turns out! Thank you!

I have tried a number of these dairy substitutes and they are often grainy or a little funky tasting. This was incredible. I'm visiting my Mom and her husband who are not Vegans, and we made this with spaghetti squash. It was the best squash and sauce I've ever had. Thank you for your hard work vetting these items.

This is 6th recipe of yours that I have made and my family loved every one of them. Thank you for posting this blog. Being a vegan family with 2 small children can be difficult at times. This website has saved me so much time and your creativity has my 2 yr old licking the plate. Thanks again and I'm exploring your recipe index now for this weeks dinner.

Can I just tell you how much your comment made my day?!! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave feedback...I work so hard to produce wonderful, SIMPLE recipes for my readers and when I hear feedback like this, it makes it all worth it! I'm so happy you and your family have loved all of the recipes and even better, your 2 year old is licking the plate, haha! Thanks again for making me smile :) :)

Oh my god. I'm a vegetarian slowly transitioning to vegan. I gave up meals that were dairy-focused and opted to reserve dairy for sprinkling feta on salads and whatnot. But I've miiiiiiiissed Alfredo. I love Alfredo so much that it was the main course at my wedding, but that was the last time I let myself eat it (3 years ago!)! I made this tonight and it is SO. GOOD. I tried califlour Alfredo the other week and it was meh. But this is my new favorite dish. Followed closey by vegan korma curry - also with blended cashews and onions! Such a winning combo!

Made this tonight and it was REALLY tasty. Served it over zucchini noodles with artichoke hearts and roasted red peppers. I went heavy on the lemon because we like it in our house and my husband was a very happy guy!

I made this tonight for the first time and let me tell you, it was delicious!!! I used pine nuts, instead of cashews and it turned out nice and smooth. It was also super easy to make too!! Thank you Brandi!!!

Awesome Melissa! I'm so happy to hear that and thrilled that it was still delicious with the pine nuts! Thank you so much for the feedback! If you like pine nuts, you should try my Ceasar dressing :)
http://thevegan8.com/2014/03/06/vegan-caesar-dressing/

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I love dairy so much so trying substitutes after I went vegan has always been disappointing. This, however, was actually really, really good! I served it over zucchini noodles with some spinach and mushroom and everybody loved it. I put the leftover sauce in the fridge and two days later it tastes even better. I will be recommending this to EVERYONE. Very easy, and very delicious! Thanks!

Hi Keren! Wonderful! Thank you so much for making it and I'm so glad you loved the sauce! I haven't tried freezing it myself, but I would think it should fine since there is no fillers or weird ingredients in it. You should be able to reheat it on the stove, but I would do it at a very low heat and maybe add some more broth, since cashew sauces thicken up the longer they are cold. Thanks again!

Hi there! The nutritional yeast is there for flavor. Since traditional alfredo sauce tends to have cheese in it, the nutritional yeast is added to this for flavor, as it lends a slight cheesy flavor and more depth of flavor. If you leave it out, it will be more bland. It's a crucial ingredient to the sauce flavor. You can try subbing with a tablespoon or so if tahini and a teaspoon or more of low sodium soy sauce and that will help a tad with the similar taste of the yeast. Will not be the same as the yeast, but it's something.

Hi! No, definitely don't use brewers yeast, it is entirely different than nutritional yeast. Nutritional yeast provides a specific flavor, kind of cheesy and there isn't really a sub for it.
Some stores sell it, but I find many in the stores to have a strong vitamin taste, so I always order it online.
Here is the one I like: http://amzn.to/2yXw6qr
OR, you can make my other alfredo and just omit the yeast called for (only 2 tbsp) and increase the salt just a bit.
http://thevegan8.com/2015/11/09/20-minute-vegan-alfredo/

I made this tonight and it turned out great. I added some extra lemon juice for some extra tang and also threw in a few handfuls of spinach when cooking the onion so I made spinach and garlic alfredo. Thanks for sharing!

[...] in his kitchen. The sauce reportedly restored her appetite during an uncomfortable pregnancy. In this recipe, lots of onion is the secret to this easy, low ingredient and rich alfredo sauce. You will be [...]

Ok so this was so good the first time I HAD to make it again. I didn't have an onion in my fridge so I used a zucchini for a filler.. turned out the exact same as before (if not a bit creamier)! Would definitely recommend zucchini if you don't have an onion :)

Oh wow, that is so awesome that zucchini worked! I can totally see why since zucchini gets mildly sweet just like onion! I make a soup from cooked zucchini and it's so good. Thank you so much for sharing and I'm so glad you love it!

Hi Brianca! I have never tried it so I am not sure how it would affect the taste. Could you maybe just add them on top of the sauce and pasta? If you want to add them to the sauce, I guess just add a few while blending it up and just taste and see how much you want in there. Let me know how it comes out!

Hi Kelly! The first step is cooking the onion and garlic (veggies), then that is what you are adding to the blender. I just added that extra note. Enjoy and let me know how it turns out! Make sure to soak your cashews now if you don't have a high powered blender.

OMG!! Spot on! I love this recipe! Thank you for sharing it with us. Someone posted your pizza with Alfredo sauce recipe on fb today and I was looking for an Alfredo sauce- it was meant to be :) first time coming across your website and all your recipes I've looked at seem to be winners!!

SO I made this tonight for dinner and it was AWESOME! Honestly, Brandi, thank you for the wonderful, easy and flipping delicious recipe :) I added in heaps of mushrooms because we are big mushroom fans around here! This is the best Alfredo I've ever had - vegan or otherwise! My boyfriend loved it as well! Everyone should make this recipe - the best part? You feel like a million bucks after eating it with a very happy tummy unlike the traditional stuff :) Thanks!

Hi Paulette! Cashew pieces should be fine, if you have a scale, just make sure to use the correct weight amount, so you get the right consistency. Since the pieces are smaller, more will fill up the cup and might make it extra thick, so you may need to increase the broth or spices slightly. Let me know how it turns out!

This sounds perfect! I hope to make it for my boyfriend for his birthday dinner. Would it be ok to make the sauce the night before and add it to pasta the next day? Also, would this work ok with regular broth (instead of low sodium?) I have Better than Bouillon Vegetable now but if not what kind/brand would you recommend?
Thanks so much for the recipe and sorry for all the questions!

Hi! Yes, absolutely, you can make it the night before. It will thicken up some in the fridge overnight because of the cashews, but you could always add just a tad more broth to thin it out if necessary. Yes, regular broth should work as well, just decrease the salt and taste it and adjust if necessary. Please let me know how it turns out! :)

Delish!! Made this for my family last night and they really liked it...which is saying a lot because my husband doesn't "believe in my veganism" and "thinks its stupid" ....his words, even tho I've lost 100 lbs on this lifestyle. I'm never going back!!! Bit it has made it very hard to afford to be vegan when we have two different grocery lists. Recipes like this will help my wallet, and help me get my family healthier without them freaking out that they are giving up "real" food lol I'm so grateful for your recipes and this one was a winner for us! Thank you for an awesome recipe, it was awesome and we will definitely be eating this again!! >3

[...] Today my daughter had the day off and we went in search for the ingredients for today’s meal Vegan Garlic Alfredo Sauce (by The Vegan 8) with raw zoodles. Off to Whole foods we had breakfast at The Counter [...]

well I was skeptical especially when i've never used nutritional yeast and I'm new to cashews but I must say I was very impressed with the outcome. I was always huge fan of real Alfredo sauce but this was really good. mine wasn't vegan as I used chicken broth but still delicious thank you so much for the recipe!

I am so grateful for this delicious recipe. I am a lifetime vegetarian who was recently diagnosed as severely intolerant of gluten, dairy and soy. I'm learning a new way of cooking and eating. Cashews and nutritional yeast are high on the list. And this yummy, creamy sauce will becme a satifying staple in my diet.

Found your site yesterday, started with this recipe and couldn't be happier! I wish I had found your site a year ago! Our 15 yo daughter is a vegetarian, wanting to move more to a vegan diet, and we want to support her as well as provide nutritious meals for her. It's been very challenging learning a new way to cook, overwhelming at times, with long lists of unfamiliar ingredients. Your approach to 8 or less ingredients is fantastic. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Hi there! So sorry I'm just seeing this comment, it just came through for some odd reason...anyways, there isn't really a substitute for nutritional yeast unfortunately. It is just one of those ingredients that can't be mimicked. My best suggestion would be to try and replace it with another salty/nutty flavor since that is what nutritional yeast provides. I would try adding a bit of soy sauce and/or worcestershire sauce (Whole Foods sells a vegan one) and maybe a tiny amount of tahini. It's not going to have the same exact flavor, but you can do your best to adjust and taste as you go.

I've been making this for like over a year now and I still love it sooooooooo much. I do make a few subs (almond milk instead of veg broth) and I add miso (lots of extra flavor depth!) but however you make it, it is amazing. Every dairy loving, meat eating person who has tried this LOVES it. Thank you so much for posting this :) I make this all the time and take it for lunch at work.

Wonderful Kal! I'm so happy to hear you love this sauce so much! Miso sounds great! I wanted to keep this recipe as simple as possible for readers, but miso I'll definitely try sometime! The veggie broth does add a depth of flavor and saltiness but I'll try the miso sometimes too, thank you so much for sharing! :)

Made this for dinner tonight. I added peas and "fried" tofurkey slices chopped up to mimic a carbonara. The whole family loved it!! I will admit that I never really liked traditional alfredo, so I was nervous I wouldn't like this either (hubby loves alfredo though, so wanted to make it for him), but I thought it was great! Therefore, in my opinion, this doesn't taste "exactly like garlic alfredo sauce"...it's BETTER!

Help! I just made this and all I taste is a yeasty thick sauce. I used 1/4 cup plus 1/2 tbsp of nutritional yeast and blended it in the vitamix with everything else. The consistency is good but it really just tastes like yeast to me. I've squeezed in a while lemon and added more salt and pepper but still overwhelmingly taste the yeast.
Did I miss a step?

Hi Samuel! Yes, definitely sounds like you missed something, you shouldn't be tasting just yeast at all. There's a 100 plus reviews above all with success and nobody has said anything about tasting yeast. When I make it, I don't even notice the nutritional yeast taste...did you by chance use brewers yeast?? Double check the ingredients...did you leave something out? It's really hard for me to tell you what happened without being there to troubleshoot...the only thing I can think is you used the wrong yeast.

this is a fantastic recipe. just made it for my wife and I; I think I had a little too much broth because I don't often measure things out exactly, but a little flour made it the perfect consitency, and it totally tasted like the real deal

Hi. The recipe sounds amazing and I definitely wanna try it, but I have a bit of a problem with the whole cup thing. I'm from Austria and here we measure everything in grams and ml. Could you probably tell me the conversion "sizes"? For example especiall with the yeast. I have no idea how much that's supposed to be..

Brandi, I've been posting your recipes on my IG (@fullyc0nsciousliving) for the past week- so far I've tried 5 that have been absolute hits. This garlic alfredo is #2 on my fave list (#1 was the chickpea sweet potato soup!) it was absolutely creamy, and punchful of garlicky flavour! Loved it!

Wow, Michelle! Thank you so much for this awesome feedback! I'm so happy that all five recipes you've tried have been such hits and I apologize for just seeing this feedback...I'm in awe that the chickpea soup beat the alfredo sauce, lol! But I absolutely LOVE that soup myself and it's probably my favorite! Thanks again!

This is so many times my go to dish on Sundays, especially when I know that the first part of me week is going to be crazy. But this has also become one of my new comfort foods. I can't get over just how close it does taste to real deal and sooo much better for me. Thank you for all your yummy dishes!
Are you on Instagram by chance?

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I'm so sorry I just saw this comment Barbara! Yes, I think freezing would be just fine. I haven't tried it, but there are no weird ingredients in it that I haven't frozen before, so I think it should be fine. Again, so sorry for the late response...I get so many that sometimes they slip through the cracks. So glad you both loved this!

I just made an alfredo sauce that used cauliflower; it was good (yours looks better!) but hubby was a little freaked it had cauliflower ~ its probably the one veggie he doesn't like. And, yes, this is the same hubby who was a little freaked over sweet potatoes in chocolate ice cream! ;)

BEST
SAUCE
EVER!!!
First, thank you so much for putting the calorie information at the end of the recipe, Brandi! But much more importantly, THANK YOU for taking the time to create these amazingly delicious recipes! My daughter has several illnesses that severely affect her dietary health, including celiac disease, irritable bowel, and Sjogren's disease. A gluten-free, dairy and oil free diet is a must in helping her symptoms. She also chooses not to eat meat. As a mom who has always loved to bake and cook, I was at the end of my rope wondering what I could make her for meals and snacks. It was hard enough finding gluten-free, vegan food on the grocery store shelves, but to find something that didn't contain some kind of oil was impossible. I don't remember how I happened upon your website, but when I say it has been a lifesaver, that is a true understatement! Your recipes have been life-changing. I can make my daughter breads, muffins and cookies again! We can enjoy salad dressing and pasta sauces! I just love making your new recipes and enjoying them with my daughter. We are so thankful you have decided to share your fabulous creations. Please don't ever stop! (PS- I have told so many people about your website I have lost count. I will continue to spread the word of your awesomeness! :-)

Colleen, this was one of the most heartfelt and kindest feedbacks I've ever received. I can't thank you enough for taking the time to write all of it out to me! I work so very hard non-stop to share amazing content with you all and to hear from my readers saying it has changed their life or been a "lifesaver" then all the hard work I do makes it so worth it.
I'm so ecstatic that your daughter can enjoy desserts again too and them be much healthier for her than the stuff at the stores. Thank you again for the comments you have left on my blog (I got all 3!) they really made me happy! :) :)

I've been looking for a vegan cheese-like sauce since January and hadn't found anything to my liking until I followed this recipe to a Tee. SO TASTY. I sauteed mushrooms, kale, green onions, and tomatoes, and folded them in on top. Pair that w a homemade, 100% whole-grain foccaccia loaf, and you have a very hearty meal. My husband was very happy. :) Pls continue to share your masterpieces. I'm now following you on Instagram as well. Cheers!

Oh I'm so happy to hear that!! Thank you so much for the follow and the wonderful feedback! So glad that this was finally "the one" you liked! Adding those veggies on top sounds divine! I typically do bell peppers and zucchini since those are our favorites but the kale and greens onions sounds really yummy too. So happy the hubby loved it too, thank you again!

Hi Mindy! Try mashed potatoes instead, measure a similar amount of mashed potatoes and try that. It should work. I use potatoes a lot in my recipes instead of nuts. It will be a bit lighter in texture, taste but should still be delicious. To make up for the lack of creaminess by not using cashews, then I would use a plant milk instead of the broth that you add to the blender. Let me know if you try it!

WOW! I just made this and it was absolutely delicious. I've been gluten and dairy free for 2 years now and I have not tasted anything this amazing that doesn't contain either. Thank you for sharing this I'm so happy right now as I'm completely stuffed and I doubled the recipe so I still have enough for dinner!!!

Hi Shellie! If yours are chopped, then just make sure you use the right weight amount for the cashews, because otherwise more will fill up the cup as chopped, versus the whole ones, and you want the right amount for flavor/texture.

So I'll weigh out 2.6 oz.....and will buy whole raw from now on. So many of the different recipes I've made with cashews I never thought of whole vs. chopped making a difference. I was always buying whole, but figured since I was throwing it in the VitaMix it wouldn't matter. I learned something new today. Thanks so much for the quick reply. :)

I made this sauce with pasta and broccoli the first time and then used it over other things throughout the week. I like that it was very good without a lot of tofu. It's another very simple recipe, but great depth of flavors as usual.

Creamy and right consistency, but not a substitute for alfredo. I've been vegan/vegetarian since birth, so I'm used to subs, but this wasn't right in the flavor. Too much nutritional yeast, onion (don't use yellow!) and garlic made it very strong. Not like they creamy, mild alfredo we are used to. I doubled the broth and cashews to tone it down and it's still not right. Next time I will change the onion/garlic/nutritional yeast ratios, add more lemon/salt and it will be perfect!

Hi Karen! Thank you for trying it out. Sorry you feel that way. I've received a couple hundred reviews on this recipe as you can see tons above, that have all felt the complete opposite, I've even had multiple non-vegans make it who are used to traditional alfredo and love it, so I'm sorry you don't like it as so many others have. But I do thank you for your feedback and for trying it out, I know we all have different tastebuds :)

Also, it's a garlic alfredo, so it should have a garlic taste to it, but I actually find it mild myself, but if you like things very mild, then definitely use less if you prefer. I also noted to use less yeast if preferred. because I know some people I have found either love it or can barely stand it, haha! I've had some people double the nutritional yeast on this recipe and some use half, so it just boils down to preference! Maybe you would prefer the cauliflower type of Alfredo's out there? I've seen tons of them around, but I find them too bland for my taste, but if you think this one has too much flavor, I would suggest oh she glows cauliflower recipe. I've heard it's good. Hope that helps! :)

I made this last night and it turned out delectable! My husband loved it. I can't wait to make a large batch again. Would love to see more flavourful sauce recipes on your site that can be added to pastas.... I really dislike the bland store-bought sauces. Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe!

I've been vegan for just 5 months and am in search of great recipes. I've had some epic fails. So many in fact that I keep a stash of vegan burritos in my freezer. Well, I am so happy to say that this recipe not only satisfied my craving for cheese but I Wvm got a fistbump from my meat eating 13 year old son. I did not deviate from the recipe at all but I'm super stoked to try it again adding extra veggies! Good job!

LOVED it! Just made this for dinner! :) Since I don't own a high speed blender, I decided to use a little bit less than 1/2 cup of organic store-bought cashew butter for the heaping 1/2 cup of cashews -- it worked perfectly! (super smooth, not gritty).
Thank you sooo much!
(Leaving a picture for you on Facebook)

Hi Brandi
Thanks for sharing!
I made this tonight and it was the perfect consistency. unfortunately I actually added double the amount of nutritional yeast and I'm still not hooked on the stuff so I'm a little disappointed :( however I'll try again and hopefully get it right next time. Do you know if I can freeze it?

Hi Corinne! Wow, really? Double the nutritional yeast would ruin the taste I would think for sure, so I can understand that. As you can see above, there has been over 200 rave reviews on this sauce, so I hope you can try it again and get it right next time like you said. I have never tried freezing it so I'm not sure, but I would think so. Also, as another suggestion, my newest "20 Minute Alfredo" has absolutely exploded with amazing reviews from readers, we all even love it more than this original one. It is so much like real alfredo that many dairy-lovers have loved it MORE than traditional alfredo. And it only takes 20 minutes! I would definitely encourage you to try this one and let me know! Make sure not to sub any of the ingredients, so you get the right flavor/texture! :) http://thevegan8.com/2015/11/09/20-minute-vegan-alfredo/

Brandi, I just made this for dinner about an hour ago and it was to die for :-) (Used brown rice pasta and threw some mushroom in before mixing sauce in.) I found you through a McDougall FB group and printed out the recipe yesterday. Just spent last half hour going through the group trying to find the post just to thank them! So glad I found your blog. Can't wait to go through your blog and try more. Thank you!

Hi there! Couple questions... I should NOT make this in a food processor right? I do not have a blender :-( But I do have an immersion blender, maybe I could try that. Second, do you have to have the nutritional yeast? Is that jsut sold in stores? Thank you!!

Hi Jocelyn! Actually, you should totally be able to use your food processor because the cashew butter is already smooth :) Should work just fine! I think either would work to get it smooth. Yes, some stores sell nutritional yeast in containers or in the bulk bin section. It adds depth of flavor, so it's kind of important. But if you leave it out, you definitely need to add I'd say extra garlic, some onion powder and maybe 1/4-1/2 teaspoon or so of dried mustard powder to make up for the flavor. If you can though, get the yeast. It's also sold on Amazon. Let me know what you think!

Hi Jocelyn! I apologize, I responded regarding cashew butter thinking of my other alfredo sauce on the blog. If you don't have any blender, then I would definitely make my other one using cashew butter, because a power blender is not needed, and it would totally work in a food processor. Here is the link. It is actually a better alfredo in my opinion too!
http://thevegan8.com/2015/11/09/20-minute-vegan-alfredo/

I just made this and it's SO cheesy and delicious! Sometimes nutritional yeast can be too overpowering for me, so I reduced the amount of that ingredient by almost half, and found it still worked for me! Thanks for this awesome recipe!

OMG, just made this... Its amazing!!!! I bought cheese flavored nutritional yeast so its really really cheesy and creamy. I don't have a Vitamix and used my regular blender so I had to blend a bit longer. I also soaked the cashews for 6 hours. I am going to make my DH try this... He is the opposite of a vegan so this will be a great test.

I just made this for dinner. Excellent recipe. I did add some olive oil bc I like the taste of it and chili flakes for a kick. Definitely something I will make again as it will fill my creamy Italian food craving. (I can't do dairy).
How long does it last in the fridge? I couldn't finish all of it at once.
Thanks for posting

Alrighty, I am officially amazed. I've been vegetarian for a while now but have had this overwhelming sense that vegan is the 'right' thing to do. So this weekend I decided to try this recipe and see how I went, whether it could really take the place of a diary packed alfredo. Pretty much all my fears about taking the 'vegan plunge' have disappeared. I made it in no time at all using a nutri bullet and it was a perfect consistency. Vegan8 just became my bible.

Hi Fray! Oh, I'm so happy reading your feedback. I'm thrilled to hear how much you loved this recipe and even more, how much you are excited about the vegan lifestyle. It is a decision you will never regret. Thank you so much for your kind words!

I just stumbled on this recipe a few days ago and made it for the first time tonight--it was excellent!
I did make a substitution though. I am allergic to onions so I left out the onions and replaced them with a can of great northern beans (pureed) for bulk. I didn't use as much broth and added more garlic (okay, I probably at least doubled it, I LOVE garlic) to compensate for the missing flavor. I also added just under an eighth of a teaspoon of cornstarch to thicken it at the beginning.
I served it over gluten-free chickpea pasta. I'm also thinking that next time I make this, I might decorate it a bit with sun-dried tomatoes or broccoli. The brood ate it like it they were starving and I thought it was delicious, so I'm putting this one in the win column.

Hi Lisa! Oh wow, allergic to onions? That's such a huge part of the recipe, so I'm really glad you were able to make a couple of substitutions and make it work for you, that is wonderful! Thank you so much for the feedback and letting me know, I really appreciate it!

I really enjoyed this recipe! Since I do not have a high powered blender or soaked cashews, I boiled the cashews for 10 minutes and it all blended together really nice. I put it over Zucchini noodles. So good! Thank you for sharing this. Great recipe to make often.

As an addict of your fat-free cheese sauce, I already knew I'd love this... but WOW! It's not just good, it's great! SO delicious! I add the Italian spice mix, as you suggest, and it really kicks it up a notch. I keep forgetting to buy brown rice linguini noodles so I've had this more mac-n-cheese style. I'm pretty sure I could cut up cardboard and pour this sauce on and it would be great. ha ha! Thanks! You hit it out of the ball park on this easy and delicious recipe!

I made this recipe for dinner, although I subbed vegan parmesan cheese instead of nutritional yeast because I couldn't find anywhere near me, and it was absolutely amazing!! I already recommended it to my family and friends! Mine was also a bit yellow/orange colored due to the vegetable broth I used. I also didn't have a high quality blender but boiled my cashews instead. I put the 1/2 cup of cashew in a pan with some water, brought it to a boil, put a lid on then turned off the heat and let them sit for a little over an hour and had no trouble! Added some sautéed mushrooms and it was absolutely delicious!! Thanks for this amazing recipe I will be keeping this one for sure!

Yay! Thank you so much Brenna for sharing this wonderful feedback with me! I'm so happy to hear you loved it and thank you for sharing it with others! So glad you were able to boil the cashews and make it work! Yes, I have a trader joes brand of veggie broth that turns everything really yellow/orange, haha, so I know what you mean! Thanks again for the awesome feedback!

True confession: I'm not vegan, or even vegetarian, but I wanted to recreate a healthier and less heavy version of my grandpa's famous fettuccine Alfredo with peas & ham. I made this sauce using roasted & lightly salted cashews from Trader Joe's, because I had them in the house, so I cut back on the added salt, and I used real Parmesan cheese because I love cheese and I dont really know where to buy nutritional yeast. I also used zucchini noodles instead of traditional. I soaked the cashews for probably six hours and used my Ninja pulse blender, and it turned out great!! I ended up boiling the zoodles quickly with the frozen peas and then adding it back into the pan where I had previously cooked the onion and where I was already frying the chopped up ham in a tiny bit of oil. Added the sauce back in last to reheat & blend.
I'm amazed, really, it didn't taste like cashews are all. What it did taste like something that should be really bad for me, but it isn't! I'm in love!

Aww thanks so much Lindsay for such wonderful feedback! I'm so happy to hear this was such a hit! So great to hear this was delicious on zucchini noodles as well, so funny because I just posted a new alfredo (nut-free) sauce yesterday on zucchini noodles! Thanks again for the feedback!

Hey Brandi!
I'm eager to try this recipe but I just saw in the comments that you wouldn't recommend using a food processor for it. My sister borrowed my magic bullet so I'm not sure what else to make it with- what would you suggest? I've used my processor for vegan cheesecake recipes that called for soaked cashews, but perhaps that would achieve too thick a consistency for this one?
Thanks in advance!
Fiona

I made this tonight and it was heavenly! I have tried your 20 minute alfredo as well which was fantastic however I liked this one even more. It was amazing! I will be making it again tomorrow as I am already craving more and it will definitely be one of our weekly recipes. It was approved by my toddler daughters and husband as well and let me tell you, they are a picky crowd haha!

Delicious! Made this tonight and I am sooooo keeping this recipe for any time I want Alfredo again. I had soaked cashews left over from a lemon dessert I made and decided to use them for dinner. I was hesitant because it's the first time I've seen your blog, but I thought, the worst that could happen is it won't taste good. So I went for it and I was not disappointed. Seriously, will not make another Alfredo sauce again. Fast, easy, healthy, and delicious! And true the name!

What is the difference between vegetable stock vs broth, and would it be ok to use stock? Also what do you mean when u say "separated"?
Made your creamy red pepper sauce and it was delicious, so looking forward to this one!

Hi Louise! Yes, you could use either! I think stock is a bit thicker, but either should be just fine. Separated just means that you are adding broth at separate times during the recipe, but I have noted exactly how much you need to add and when in the directions, so you won't have any trouble :)

I came across this recipe while searching for a vegan alfredo sauce and must say it was truly delicious! I love mushrooms so fried up a few on the side and added them with the pasta at the end. Thank you for such a great recipe!

I've been on a whole foods-plant based diet for 30 days now, and while there are a lot of plant based (vegan, etc) recipes online, very few are low oil, so thank you for this site! I made this sauce as written, with the exception of adding a bit more salt. I ended up soaking my cashews for over 24 hours (due to procrastination), and the end result is VERY tasty!

I made this tonight and it was perfect!!! Even with a $15.00 blender :-) Key point to remember, soak your cashews. My children couldnt tell that it was made with cashews. Thanks for posting this recipe.

Tried recipe and was good- BUT I don't like how you refer to dairy and eggs as unhealthy. If you use good quality dairy and eggs, you'll feel full on less food. Also, the whole heart healthy thing- the study about which fats were bad for you accidentally grouped saturated and Trans fats together, two totally different fats, one natural one artificial. Same with meats. So the next time you say that animal products are unhealthy...we used to eat lots of them before we (america) became very obese

Hi Lucy, thanks for trying the recipe! So glad you enjoyed it :)
There are many opinions out there, but for me, I 100% believe animal products are unhealthy, which is why I run a vegan blog, it's the whole reason I started it. My husband used to live on crutches from severe gout because of the inflammatory effects of meats and dairy (he is now off crutches and med-free). They cause acidity in the body, raise cholesterol and throw off the alkalinity in the body. It isn't just my opinion, it is what many plant-based doctors have proven through numerous plant-based studies and reversing heart disease, among many others by switching to a plant-based diet. You can find out much more info from Forks Over Knives, just for starters. But the best way to share why we choose to live this way is all laid out here in my story. You will understand more why I say (and believe) why they are unhealthy. Our lives improved drastically when we cut them out.
http://thevegan8.com/2014/09/08/how-my-life-has-changed-since-going-vegan/

Brandi,
This sauce is astonishing! There simply aren't enough accolades to do it justice. I had never understood why people found Alfredo sauce to be that exciting; however this one is blender-licking good. Not only did I try to get every bit out of the Vitamix, had I been alone in the kitchen, I would have been tempted to lick up the few drops that spilled on the counter.
I did have sufficient willpower to stash away enough for tomorrow's pizza...

This was a really good recipe! However one thing that threw me off was the color. By the pictures, the sauce looks white, however it ends up being an orange color because of the nutritional yeast and veggie broth. With the ingredients to make this, I have no idea how the picture have it as a cream / white coloe

Hi Beckah! I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Ok, that is due to the brand of veggie broth of yeast you used. I used a Trader Joe's veggie broth one time and it turned my sauce completely orange! Some broths or veggie stocks are much darker than others. Is your broth a clear-ish color or is it pretty colored and orange? That is how you will know. I've only ever had that happen with the Trader Joe's brand. Also, some nutritional yeasts are much more orange then others, which will also affect the color. I use this one by Sari Foods...it is lighter in color, has a much better milder taste and isn't fortified with synthetic vitamins, so it is a much healthier choice too. Hope this helps! http://amzn.to/1WcXL9U

I just made the garlic alfredo sauce tonight and was very disappointed. It was creamy and all that, but the recipe I think called for a tablespoon of lemon juice which just dominated the flavor making it taste like lemon sauce. I tried to fix it by adding more salt and pepper, more broth, etc. but I could not get rid of the overpowering lemon flavor. I will try making it again, but not use lemon or at least not a tablespoon.

Hi Deborah! Wow, that's very odd, out of over 200 feedbacks, you are the first person to ever say that, and I make this nearly weekly and it's not overpowering at all in lemon flavor, because 1 tablespoon isn't much at all. Are you sure you added enough of the broth, it's nearly impossible for the lemon juice to be too strong with all of the broth that is in this sauce. In fact, the lemon juice is only there to hide the cashew flavor. But if you are extra sensitive to lemon juice, then definitely leave it out, just keep in mind you may taste the cashews then.

I doubled the recipe, but still only used a tablespoon of the lemon juice. If I had had more cashews, I could have fixed it but I didn't. I saw all the feedback so don't know why mine came out so lemony. It would have been good if I was making shrimp scampi, but being a vegan of course I don't cook with shellfish. I will try it again and first leave out the lemon and see how it tastes. Then add it only sparingly if I need to.

Ahhhh ok, that is likely why then because there wasn't enough cashews for enough body to absorb the flavor. You shouldn't taste lemon at all, so definitely try it again :) Or, also, this one, my 20 minute Alfredo is probably my #1 recipe right now with readers and it doesn't use lemon juice and is my personal favorite. So, maybe try that one instead, definitely no lemon flavor :)
http://thevegan8.com/2015/11/09/20-minute-vegan-alfredo/

Brandi, you are a genius. This sauce is incredible. I also made your cinnamon sweet potato muffins this week with the sweet potato caramel, and was blown away. THANK YOU for your recipes. I feel like a whole new world of vegan cooking has opened up. Sincerely, thanks!

Casey, your comment truly made my day, it means so much to hear from my readers! I'm so happy you love this sauce and the muffins so much! What a compliment, so glad you are loving vegan cooking such much now! :)

My husband and son have Not enjoyed my transition to plant based eating - until I found your website recently and made this dish. We all LOVE it!!! They have requested I make this weekly since I first tried it s month ago. THANK YOU! I look forward to trying more of your recipes.

I'm looking forward to trying this! I tried a similar recipe from someone else's sight, and it used steamed cauliflower, the same amount of cashews as yours, AND 1/2 cup of macadamia nuts. I used 2 tbsp of lemon juice, but still...all I could taste were nuts! It wasn't wonderful. Since yours calls for less nuts and no cauliflower, I'm sure that won't be a problem!

Soooo delicious!!! I made it with spaghetti squash, so all veggie and amazing!! Thank you for making this available for free, I am learning how to cook and prepare food differently and I can't wait to try your other recipes!! One happy family over here!

Hi, I was wondering if we could substitute coconut milk instead of blending the cashews? will it come out the same? I guess my question would be for any recipe that calls for blending cashews if like cashew milk or coconut milk would work the same, or is it a thicker texture and if there is a recipe to get the same texture if we used the milk instead of processing it etc.

Hi Melissa! I don't think coconut milk will work the same since the cashews are so heavy, they really are what makes this so creamy. You would have to use full fat coconut milk to even get a close result and then it would taste like coconut, which I don't think would be very good, haha! If you need a nut-free alfredo, then try this one. It's super popular with readers and no nuts! http://thevegan8.com/2016/02/26/nut-free-vegan-garlic-alfredo-sauce/

Hi, I was wondering if we could substitute coconut milk instead of blending the cashews? will it come out the same? I guess my question would be for any recipe that calls for blending cashews if like cashew milk or coconut milk would work the same, or is it a thicker texture and if there is a recipe to get the same texture if we used the milk instead of processing it etc.
Thanks :)

Hi Melissa! I'm so sorry, I somehow missed this comment! You actually need to use the cashews because coconut milk doesn't reach the same thickness or creaminess, or flavor even, as cashews. If you used coconut milk, it would taste like coconut unfortunately. If you are needing a nut-free alfredo, I have one of those! Here is the recipe: http://thevegan8.com/2016/02/26/nut-free-vegan-garlic-alfredo-sauce/

This is my second time making it and i've had the same problem as someone before. My sauce came out orangy and gritty. The orange colour doesnt bother me because it really depends on the vegetable broth you use. Some are darker in colour than others. However, I cant get a smooth consistency. I soaked my raw cashews in hot water over night. literally 8+ hours. I have the ninja blender, and I thought it was a high quality blender. Could the blender really be the problem?
Overall, the taste of the sauce is great and my vegan friends love it.

Hi Elda! Yes, unfortunately a Vitamix and Blendtec are more powerful than a Ninja and seems to be the only way to get it 100% smooth. However, if you blend it really long, I would think that should work, OR, do you have a food processor? I make my cream cheese in my food processor after soaking the cashews 12-18 hours and blending it for several minutes gets it incredibly smooth, so it is possible. But it's harder for some blenders to work unless it is a Vitamix style.

I love this recipe, have made it several times. Just now I put some leftover sauce on rice with the juice from artichokes that come in a jar and it was really delicious. I used roasted cashews this time because I didn't have raw and it turned out fine. I cooked them in the simmering broth and onion for a few mins to soften them up and it seemed just as creamy.

My pantry was bare tonight but I had most of what I needed for this so set out to make it. I only subbed a tsp onion powder for the onion and I used a tsp of vegeta powder and a cup of water. Everything else in the recipe was left intact. Oh. WOW!!! This stuff cannot not be laced with cream, oil and cheese....it was simply astoundingly the best pasta I have ever tasted!!!! Scared now to try it with the real onions as I can't see it possibly getting better lol!! Thank you !!

This is my new alfredo go-to sauce. It was absolutely delicious and so quick to make- I just love it. I added a bag of heated frozen peas and a can of petite diced tomatoes and it was to die for. The peas added protein while the tomatoes added a juicy component. I am trying to eat low fat so I also added the extras to increase bulk so that I got less fat in my serving. By my nutrition calculations with 2 cups of pasta and dividing the sauce into 6 servings, it came to 9% of calories from fat (my goal is 10% or less). So it definitely does not have as much fat as some other cashew sauces- and of course, wins hands down compared to Olive Garden!! Great recipe Brandi- your genius is a true blessing on my journey to better health. You are a goddess!!!

Hi Kara, so glad you enjoyed it! I have never tried freezing it, but I'd imagine it would be okay. Just reheat it slowly on the stove and add any broth if needed. I'm sure it will freeze really hard, so I'd suggest thawing it first in the fridge. Hope that helps!

Hi Sandy! Without nuts or potatoes? That is going to be pretty hard because one or the other is needed to make things creamy. I do not do low carb or low salt, so this is definitely not a low carb blog. The right kind of healthy carbs are needed and super good for us, so I am not sure if I will have the kind of recipes you are looking for. There are recipes out there online that use tofu instead of nuts or potatoes, but I don’t do tofu because it is so highly processed and prefer to use the whole food nutrient ingredients like nuts or potatoes. If you are avoiding both, try googling some tofu sauces. Hope that helps!

Update on this sauce: it's perfect over broccoli! I had a little leftover from last night's carbonara so I thinned it with some veggie broth and over my side dish it went. Right alongside my jackfruit BBQ sandwich. Such a good meal!

I gave this link to my daughter to make your recipe first, and her sister and another guest loved it and let me know how good it was. So, tonight, I've made it and tasted the sauce and its delectable. Please keep this web site going with recipes and or probably publish a book to buy on Kindle or hardcover.

I got a vitamix blender 4 months ago and honestly, the recipes I have tried did not turn out very well so I haven't used it much at all in the past 4 months. I came across this recipe and had everything but the cashews, so went to bulk barn to get some...made this recipe a couple of hours ago and OH MY GOD is this alfredo sauce SOOOOO GOOOODDDD!!! I put it on raw spiralized zucchini noodles, and after blending for a couple of minutes, the vitamix made the sauce hot so when I poured it over the noodles, it warmed everything up and made it just right. Thank you so much for posting the recipe. I can see myself making this on a regular basis and am now glad I have a vitamix after all this time! lol

I made this last night, and everything went well. I made sure to soak the cashews for a looong time because our blender is just your run of the mil Cuisinart. It was smooth as smooth can be. However, it did not taste like alfredo. It didn't taste bad, just not what I was expecting. I am 100% sure it is because of the nutritional yeast I used. Do you have any favorites, that don't have such a strong flavor?

Hi Michelle! Yes, the nutritional yeast definitely can ruin the taste. This is my most popular recipe and as you can see by the reviews above, it's a big hit, so I definitely want to help you! Most nutritional yeasts have fortified vitamins added which can give a really strong, nasty taste. I only use this nutritional yeast. It's all natural and no synthetic vitamins added. It is much milder and doesn't overpower like most brands in the stores. Also, make sure you are using a really light veggie broth, not a tomato or carrot based one, as that can ruin the flavor too.
http://amzn.to/2fFVCm9

Years ago, before I was vegan, my little girl LOVED this place in town that served a pretty mean Alfredo. Sadly, more often than not, one of the chefs made a really, really BAD one, in opposition to the other chef, who made a really, really GOOD one. The odds were like, 5:1 that you'd get a bad one. So, way back in the nineties, I got turned off for Alfredo sauce.
Until tonight. My little Princess of a wife made this, and I became an Alfredo lover again! THEN, she showed me the nutritionals on it. LMAO! Olive Garden can KEEP the 'cardiac event' version, because this stuff just became a household standard.

Just made this tonight to rave reviews. Honestly, one of the best sauces I've made in a long time, and I'm a pretty stellar cook who eats meat and dairy. I was vegan for several years, so I've developed a love for nutritional yeast, but I didn't think this recipe was too strong on the flavor at all. It sometimes is a bit overpowering.
I added some crushed red pepper flakes, lemon zest, a small drizzle of tamari and a little bit of grated nutmeg, as that always seems to add a little depth to cream-based sauces.
Will definitely be making this a billion more times.

This is so amazing! I love the simplicity of this recipe, I usually have all of these ingredients in my cupboard. I can definitely see this becoming one of my go- to recipes when I'm craving comfort food this winter!
So yummy :) Thank you for sharing this.

I made this recipe tonight and it was delicious! It's so smooth and creamy. My son is dairy free, and mac & cheese was one of his favorite meals before dairy was removed from his diet. He LOVED this and both my kids couldn't even tell the difference. Thanks for this recipe. I'm definitely going to use this as a "cream of.." substitute in casseroles as well. Yum!

First of all, I'm not vegan and I love cheese and eat it regularly. I didn't have any nutritional yeast, but made it without and this sauce was amazingly delicious! I have a son who is lactose intolerant and daughter who doesn't like tomato sauce, so I'm always at a loss when I make pasta. I was so happy that my whole family could eat it and loved it! Thank you!!!

I've been meaning to make this one for a while, but after seeing you prepare it on Eating You Alive, I decided to finally give it a try. And can I just say - wow! I've made a few vegan alfredos over the years and this is by far the best I've had. I can't wait to eat it again!

Sabrina, thank you so much for this amazing feedback! So happy it's the best you've tried! You should also try my 20 Minute Alfredo and see which one you like better!
http://thevegan8.com/2015/11/09/20-minute-vegan-alfredo/

Great recipe. Didn't have lemon juice, but I will try it again with lemon juice. I was lazy and used 1/2 cup of organic creamy cashew butter (no sugar, no salt). Seemed easier and was very creamy. Will be using the method of cooking down the onions for gravy or SOMETHING soon - was fun! Since I haven't had non-vegan anything for about 2 years, it was very welcomed. Had with whole wheat thin spaghetti, and I didn't even mind the spaghetti was whole wheat.

I tried this tonight and it was a huge hit. Even my son who accuses me of trying to feed him hippie food was surprised at how delicious was. I'll be making this again for sure, I use an organic vegetable paste to make vegetable broth which I completely forgot to add and the sauce still tasted like regular alfredo sauce. Thank you so much for this recipe, it is going to become a favourite in this house.

Hi Hannah! I personally am not a fan with a 100% swap of beans for cashews. I have tried it before and find the texture to be too beany/grainy. So, in my opinion, it's not nearly as good as the cashews. It doesn't taste like that true rich alfredo. If anything, you could try subbing half cashews/half beans and see if you like that.

Hi Jenny, I have no control over how Pinterest lists the recipes. I pin my recipe straight my site to Pinterest and it uploads on their end. Bloggers don't have the ability to edit ingredients on Pinterest unfortunately. And as you can see, it is clearly listed above in my ingredient list. Not sure why, but I've seen this happen quite often, so since a reader has to click through to the recipe anyways to get the directions, it's always best to follow the blog for accuracy instead of pinterest.

Thank you! This is so creamy my boyfriend and I really enjoyed it. He went back for thirds. I am very happy I made a double batch. Soooooooo good!! We served it over pasta. We topped it with roasted red peppers, mushrooms, red pepper flakes and vegan sunflower "parm" I cannot wait to get hungry again so I can have more! You are a culinary genius!

I made this for lunch yesterday and it was a hit. I have left over sauce and was wondering wether it would be good to pour over sliced potatoes and bake in the oven, like a vegan potato gratin? Might try it out later.

Hi Robyn! So glad to hear it was a hit! I think it would be delicious but cashew sauces bake up pretty thick usually, so you might need to add a bit of extra liquid, I'm not sure. Would be a good trial to see!

While we are certainly not vegan, but paleo, this totally hit the spot tonight. Made my first batch of paleo pasta and paired it with this sauce some broccoli and chicken. Amazing! Thank you so much for this recipe.

SO GOOD! My first try at a creamy cashew sauce. I am vegan going on 2 years now and starting to get more adventurous with my cooking. I just got the Nutribullet Max and it is great for making creamy cashew sauces. I used rice pasta and lightly steamed carrots, broccoli, kale and yellow pepper, then tossed it all together with the alfredo sauce at the end. Thank-you for this recipe. I love it!

Wow!!!
After recommendations from both my rheumatologist and my GI doc, I've been vegan for the past two months. It's made a made huge difference in my psoriatic arthritis and overall general health. I've always been healthy, and love the fresh fruits, veggies and grains of adopting this type of diet,...but I had a little meltdown the other night. After two months of munching beans, kale, and brussels sprouts, I was just missing a bit of true comfort food. I'd just ordered a Nutribullet RX and had heard that cashews could make s great Alfredo Sauce and thought I'd give it a whirl.
This recipe is off the charts amazing!!! I followed it to a tee, except for the fact that I didn't have lemon and used lime instead. It was delicious with the lime juice, but I understand why she's so explicit with her ingredients and measurements. My husband became vegan two days ago and we moaned and groaned throughout the meal. (I made it with roasted cauliflower and broccoli and gluten free pasta.). Thank you for giving us an unbelievable recipe when we need a bit of healthy vegan comfort food! This will be a weekly treat!

Absolutely love this recipe (eating it now actually lol). I've seen a few people commenting on not being able to blend the cashews well enough - my blender is awful but i have a small food processor. I processed the cashews for a minute or two before adding it to the blender with the rest of the ingredients and it worked out perfectly!
This recipe is also great for curbing any unhealthy fast food (albeit vegan) cravings and is super filling!

I am on the third week of a vegan lifestyle and going strong. I made this wonderful sauce today and I am blown away by its flavor! Thank you so much for helping me along the path of healthier living and delicious recipes are so important to keep a person on track! I have already lost three or 4 pounds and I'm excited every day to try something new! Blessings to you and please continue to Develop and create new recipes! 🙏💞🙏

I've been vegan for a month now and I have been craving something creamy. This sauce was the perfect cure! I followed your recipe and it was delicious! The second time I made it I used a sweet onion and added extra garlic (I can't get enough garlic!!) both variations were fantastic. Thanks for sharing!

Good day Brandi, I'm going to try this recipe sooner than later. How long will this last in the fridge. I've read people making it on a "weekly" bases. I'm just starting (2 full weeks) a plant based diet and I must say it's not that bad. Work keeps me pretty busy. And as you can imagine I have minimal time to make dishes on demand. I use the weekends to tray and prepare as much possible for the week and keep on track. With that said..... I would love to add this to my repertoire.

So glad you loved it Liz! I have not tried freezing it personally since we go through it so fast, but since it's made up of all whole foods, I would think it would freeze well. I would just thaw it 1-2 days in the fridge before you are ready to eat it again and then reheat very low over the stove.

Hello -
This recipe sounds great and I can't wait to try it! However, I'm confused about quantities. The recipe seems to say that it makes 1/2 cup of sauce? So to make enough sauce for five people, I would need to quintuple the quantities? Please advise... (and thanks!)

I just made this and it was just about the most delicious meal I've had in a long time. I love alfredo, but never feel very good after eating it. It's a really heavy meal! This recipe, however, was a dead ringer for creamy garlic alfredo! Just as tasty with none of the digestive discomfort.
I'm eyeing up the leftovers as we speak. I served the sauce over rice fettuccini and lightly steamed broccoli. Husband loved it, too! Lots of "mmmms" as we ate. Thank you for sharing!

This is my favorite thing I've made from your blog thus far. Absolutely amazing! It was the perfect amount of sauce for 8 oz. of dry pasta that was then cooked. We added some more ground pepper to the finished product. It was sooo good, I'll be making this one a lot.

I love this recipe. I come back to it again and again. But one thing I can't figure out. Cooking the onions on low for 8 minutes is not nearly enough. I have to saute on med for 20 minutes. Sometimes I'm not patient to wait til the liquid is gone! Love it anyway. Thanks!

Hi Lori! That should be medium..just fixed it. Can't believe I've never noticed that, haha. You can always raise the heat to cook it faster if you like, you just are really wanting to cook them several minutes to really make them super soft and flavorful :) Glad you love the recipe!

This looks so yummy!! I was just wondering how you would think it would be without the nutritional yeast. I have candida and can't handle it at all. I think I'm going to try it without it though and see. Looks like the real deal and I love onions and garlic

Hi Amy! The nutritional yeast adds some thickening as well as a of flavor, so you will need to add others flavors to it so that it is not too bland. Nutritional yeast is also salty, so you will need to increase the salt. I would add some garlic powder, onion powder, a few Italian herbs and some dry mustard to it. Start out with 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard, as it can be strong, then just adjust to taste! Place back on the heat to thicken it if needed.

We LOVED this dish!!! We're new to eating less meat - baby steps - and this recipe was soooo good! I made it according to your directions and it turned out perfect! Looking forward to trying more of your creations. Thanks so much!

I am always on the lookout for recipes that align with my specific diet, which has been developed to curb the effects of multiple sclerosis (MS) This recipe fit within the parameters, and surpassed my expectations by a lot! Your alfredo is much yummier than the original alfredo. After the meal was over, I intercepted the blender before my husband could get a chance to wash it; and I licked the last of the alfredo as I used to back when I was a little kid licking cake batter.

Thank you for this! I have finally found an Alfredo I can make that doesn't take weird ingredients, or have an "I want to be Alfredo, but I'm not" taste. This was the real deal -- both my husband and son were convinced it was the real deal. My one regret is I had run out of garlic -- I think I'll add more next time!

This is such a lovely sauce, I realy love it! As a former cheese addict I was realy surprised how close this gets to a creamy cheesy sauce. When I finished my bowl, my cat cleaned it out completly. We can recommend this to both vegans and non vegans, this sauce is tha bomb!
Greetings, Marianne

As I'm getting older, I'm learning that their certain foods that I cannot eat anymore. Sadly dairy is one of them. I have been craving for a dairy free Alfredo sauce and I think I might have just found it. It is so flavorful and I did not leave out any ingredients. Thanks for sharing your awesome recipe!

I have made this recipe several times now... my kids call it "cheesy noodles" and they really have no idea it is so healthy. I have a Vitamix blender, so this comes together very quickly. I find a little of the sauce goes a long way! And, we add cooked peas to it. Thank you for sharing this!!!

I just made this and it turned out DELICIOUS! I had leftover homemade cashew milk/cream that I wanted to use, and that worked perfectly. I love the strong garlic flavor! I mixed in some finely chopped steamed broccoli and garnished the dish with some chopped parsley. I actually took a picture but I don't think I can post it here. So far, 3 out of 4 people in my household love it, and I am the only vegan. The 4th one is at work and will try it later. Thank you for this recipe!

Hi, new to your amazing blog. I was wondering if I could cheat and use cashew butter instead? And how much would I need. I am oil free and vegan and am so excited to find you!!! Are you still active? I notice most posts are several years old.
Thank you!!!
Katharina

Hi Katharina! Welcome! Oh yes, extremely active, haha. That is because you are on a post that is from a few years back when I wrote it, BUT it's the #1 recipe on my blog all these years. I have hundreds and hundreds of recipes and I started blogging in 2012, so that's why :) Be sure to subscribe to my blog in the red box so you can get my email updates each week. For this recipe I would actually refer you to my more current one that I specifically created using cashew butter and is just as popular. It's faster too. Here is the alfredo recipe! http://thevegan8.com/2015/11/09/20-minute-vegan-alfredo/

Wow! This was amazing, I could just dip a spoon in at eat it! I have done other vegan cashew sauces they are good and I enjoyed them but your adding the onions and garlic cooked in the veggie broth brought it to an amazing level!
Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe.

I've only been vegan three months - vegetarian almost 50 years... I've been getting by with my beans and rice and soup dishes but it was time to up my game and use an actual vegan recipe. I found your site and used this recipe first, for a dinner for my husband and me, and a family friend. My husband is a meat eater, btw. This dish was quite appreciated, even though our nutritional yeast here in Germany isn't quite as tasty as back home. I've never thought of grating lemon on top of pasta. Delicious. Oh, and this was the first time in my life that I sauteed onions and garlic without oil, using the broth instead. Any why not? You are a very clever cook and I'm looking forward to trying your other recipes. Thank you.

Hi Allie! I have heard that it helps, but I have not personally tried it. If you have a food processor, I believe that will work much better for boiled or soaked cashews, versus a standard blender. I make my homemade cream cheese from soaked cashews in my processor and it turns out perfectly smooth. I do soak them for a long time though...not sure how that compares to boiled, but you can give it a shot and see. Just blend in your processor for several minutes until smooth.

Made this tonight and it was fantastic. I’ve tried many many cashew based sauces and this one by far was the best. My husband who is a skeptical plant based convert said it tasted just like Alfredo which was amazing because he taste tests everything trying to find something wrong with it. Going to try this on pizza later in the week. I’m sure it will be awesome. Thank you for the recipe. It’s a keeper for sure.

Hi Brandi! First I would like to say thank you so much for sharing your recipe. I have a quick question. Since I'll be cooking for 4 and will have to double the recipe serving amount....Do I just double all the ingredients. Thank you.

THIS IS MY GO-TO DISH to show people what's possible with plant-bast cuisine. It's 100% the best vegan alfredo sauce EVER!
I've made this for years now. I never comment on recipes, and that's why I'm finally saying something. I felt I had too after looking up this recipe for the millionth time now. (pretty sure I know it by heart, but I like to double check sometimes)
This is my boyfriend's favorite dish that I make, and our diets/taste are completely different. He's also brutally honest about what he likes and dislikes, so when he said, "This is better than other Alfredo sauces." I knew I found a winner. THANK YOU! I'd be honored to cook with you one day!

Aww, this is the sweetest comment ever Beacon! Thank you so much for making it for years, for one and second, for taking the time to come and rate the recipe and letting me know how much you and your boyfriend love it! I really love hearing it, thank you very much!

Hi Dhara! There is a good amount of broth in the recipe for flavor, can you get some? Any store sells veggie broth, as it's a very basic ingredient and inexpensive, so it shouldn't be hard to find and water isn't really a good substitute as it will make the sauce more bland.

I just made this sauce, but added the zest of a lemon also, and it was a delicious lemony, creamy, delightful sauce that I stirred through quinoa and amaranth pasta and added pumpkin and broccoli....will certainly become a regular comfort food dish for me...delicious!

Oh no! Sounds to me like you forgot to add the broth?? Or changed the recipe because it shouldn't be a PASTE and the nutritional yeast should not be a prominent flavor at all. Over 400+ reviews all above have absolutely loved this sauce, as you can see all of them above, and say it's even better than traditional and many of them are not even vegan, so sounds like something went wrong or mismeasured. You are the first person ever to say a negative review in 4 years since posting this recipe so I'm not sure what happened. If you want something without nutritional yeast, I have this other alfredo sauce, a Cream Cheese Alfredo, all again with 100% rave reviews from everybody who has made it.
http://thevegan8.com/2017/10/13/vegan-cream-cheese-alfredo/

Hi, I want to make this and I have salted cashews on hand. I'm wondering if it really matters for me to go buy unsalted cashews or if it wouldn't make a noticeable difference in taste to just use the salted ones? Thanks!

I love this recipe, thank you 💜!! It does make more than I use at one time so I stored it in the fridge. Had the rest tonight (6 days later). That led me to wonder how long it actually can hang out in the fridge. Any thoughts?

Hi Lesley, so glad you loved it! I'd say a good week and then I don't usually keep it much longer than that, but I'm weird about old food in the fridge, haha. I know others have kept it longer, but I think a solid week is still good!

Hi! I'm Brandi, a wife and mom behind this blog who healed my husband's gout and my digestion issues through a plant-based diet. I'm not complicated, I keep things simple. All my recipes are 8 ingredients or less, not including salt, pepper or water. They are allergy-friendly, as they are all vegan, oil-free and nearly all are gluten-free. You'll find lots of baked goods here, as I've been a baker all my life, it's my passion!